1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a medication dispenser and more particularly to a medication dispenser which includes means to prevent the inadvertent removal of the covers positioned over the open topped medication compartments.
2. Background of the Invention
Applicants' father received U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,372,445; 4,735,318; 4,741,441; 5,011,018; and 5,735,406 relating to medication dispensers. Applicants have received U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,097,037 and 7,267,228 which also relate to medication dispensers. In all of the above identified patents, a container or cassette is disclosed which has a plurality of open topped medication compartments forms therein which have compartment covers selectively closing the upper ends thereof.
The individual compartment covers are normally connected together by fracturable links. The outer ends of the individual covers have a semi-circular extension or tab extending outwardly therefrom beyond the upper ends of the side walls of the container to enable a person to raise the outer end of the cover so as to fracture the link at the inner end of the cover to open the compartment to enable the medication therein to be removed.
Although the medication dispensers of the patents noted above have met with considerable success, it has been discovered that the protruding extensions or tabs may sometimes be contacted or struck which causes the inner end of one or more of the covers to be inadvertently broken or fractured thereby causing the medication to be spilled from the compartment or compartments.